Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A friend in need...

...may not always be a friend indeed. This is especially true with Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP). It was not until a few days ago we heard new songs of friendship being sung by the two political parties. The two arch rivals were suddenly found cuddling each other, the reason, the impending trust vote in the parliament. SP coming to Congress' rescue was akin to a Bollywood style "kahanimein twist".

Amar Singh of the SP did not tire saying that his party was keeping the nation's interests at heart in supporting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Indo-US nuclear deal. He also emphasised many times over that SP was being selfless in not insisting on any ministerial berths for his party and that their support was not based on any such conditions.

Then we saw currency bundles being waived in the parliament allegedly originating from Amar Singh. It began to seem that national interest had a price after all. Not just money, but 319 animals paid with their lives to save this government. The Congress and SP literally have blood on their hands. Now, barely a few days after the trust vote, it seems that the SP is finding it difficult to keep its flock together. Some of their partymenapparently have been demanding cabinet berths as a reward for following their party's whip. So much for not asking for their pound of flesh. Moreover, after apparently being convinced by none other than Dr. Kalam that the Indo-US nuclear deal was in India's best interests (never mind that he changed his stance on the matter), now the SP is singing a different tune altogether. It now wants the Hyde act amended or a new law in India to counter it. Whatever happened to it earlier claims on the deal.

Dr. Manmohan Singh or the Congress should have known better than to seek a friend in the SP. But then it was blinded by survival instincts. Dr. Singh seems to have avoided the collapse of his government, but with friends like these, the ride is not going to be smooth. SP will be guided by its own interests, not the nation's and it will act up.